PORTLAND, Ore. – The Portland Timbers Academy teams return home from the U.S. Soccer Development Academy Winter Showcase in Lakewood Ranch, Fla., where the two teams each played three matches against some of the top clubs from around the league.
During the showcase, the Timbers Academy teams faced the respective U-18 or U-16 sides for the Houston Dynamo Academy, Chicago Fire Academy and FC DELCO.
The Timbers U-18 Academy finished the Winter Showcase with a 1-2-0 record, capping the trip with a 1-0 win over the Chicago Fire U-18 Academy on Monday. Forward Anthony Macchione (Camas, Wash.) delivered the game-winning goal in the 75th minute and goalkeeper Mitch North (Medford, Ore.) recorded the shutout in the win over the Fire.
“The event was well-organized, and it was a great opportunity for the players to play against high-level competition in front of college coaches,” said Timbers U-18 Academy head coach Adam Smith. “What the kids have learned over the weekend, as far as their development, is invaluable.”
The Timbers U-18s opened the showcase with a 4-1 loss to the Houston Dynamo U-18 Academy on Friday, with midfielder James Nosack (Ridgefield, Wash.) scoring the team’s lone goal. Against FC DELCO on Saturday, the Timbers U-18s received golden scoring chances from Machionne and forward Christian Desir (Portland, Ore.), but fell 1-0 on a 90th-minute goal by Connor Ryan.
The Timbers U-16 Academy lost all three of its matches during the Winter Showcase. Entering the competition, the team had just one loss in its first nine matches of the season.
“We played against three of the top teams in the country,” said Timbers U-16 Academy head coach Mike Smith. “We are disappointed with the results, but we played some good football in each game and will be a better team as a result of our experiences.”
After a 2-0 loss to the Houston Dynamo U-16s to open the Winter Showcase on Saturday, the Timbers U-16s were handed a 3-1 loss by FC DELCO on Sunday. The team wrapped up the competition with a 3-0 loss to the Chicago Fire U-16s on Tuesday morning. Forward Rolando Velazquez (Junction City, Ore.) was the lone goal-scorer for the Timbers U-16s during the Winter Showcase, scoring his fifth goal of the season.
The Timbers’ two academy teams resume play Sunday, Dec. 16, when they visit the academy sides for Vancouver Whitecaps FC at Simon Fraser University in Burnaby, B.C.
Timbers U-16s forward Rubio Rubin excels with U.S. U-17 National Team in international friendlies
In conjunction with the Development Academy Winter Showcase, the U.S. U-17 National Team played host to the 2012 Nike International Friendlies in Florida. Timbers U-16s forward Rubio Rubin, a member of the U.S. U-17 Residency Program, excelled during the tournament, recording three goals and three assists over three matches for the U.S. U-17 National Team.
Rubin (Beaverton, Ore.) tallied two goals and two assists to lead the U.S. U-17 National Team to a wild 4-4 draw against Brazil on Nov. 28. He then came off the bench against Turkey on Nov. 30, registering one goal and one assist in 28 minutes of action to contribute to a 4-1 victory. Rubin returned to the starting lineup in a 4-3 loss to Portugal on Sunday, as the U.S. U-17 National Team finished the slate of friendlies with a 1-1-1 record.
In total, Rubin has scored 11 goals for the U.S. U-17s in 2012 and was recently named the 2012 U.S. Soccer Young Male Athlete of the Year. Click here to watch his reaction following the draw against Brazil.
Timbers U-23s players Andrew Ribeiro, Eric Miller lead Creighton to 2012 College Cup
Timbers U-23s players Andrew Ribeiro and Eric Miller will help lead Creighton University into its second straight NCAA Men’s College Cup this weekend at Regions Park in Hoover, Ala. The Bluejays defeated UConn over the weekend in the Elite 8 to advance to the final four, and will face Indiana in the semifinals Friday at 4:30 p.m. (Pacific) live on ESPNU.
The national championship match will take place Sunday at 11 a.m. (Pacific) on ESPNU. The other semifinal pits No. 3 Georgetown against No. 2 Maryland.
Ribeiro, a senior, started and played all 90 minutes of Creighton’s 1-0 victory over No. 4-seeded UConn, extending the team’s unbeaten streak to 13 matches as they roll into the College Cup.
The Bluejays reached the College Cup in 2011, but fell in the semifinal to eventual national champion North Carolina.
